18 Feb Cleft Lip Repigmentation – Paramedical Permanent Makeup ©

by: Susan Church CCPC, CPDA

This is a true story that my patients recanted to me. It is in her own words.
This is my story.

I was born in 1954 with a mid-cleft lip and a condition known as “Super Numera” which affected the tissue in my upper mouth and lower nose.

I had my first surgery at two weeks of age to bring my upper lips together and remove the extra skin that was connecting the inside of my upper lip to the upper gum line in two places instead of one. Over the next 12 years I had four additional surgeries. My second surgery was to remove a third front (baby) tooth. During my third surgery doctors removed excess tissue from the septum and extracted the impacted permanent third front tooth. As a result of my birth defects I did not have a Cupids Bow, and my upper lip was smaller on one side than the other and the lip line was uneven.

In 1979 I married the love of my life Steve. We settled in Simi Valley, California. We subsequently raised three wonderful children, the youngest of which is now 24 years of age.

In December 2006, while descending the steps in our home, I missed the last step. As I was propelled forward, my face struck the corner of a wooden bench which completely severed my bottom lip, fracturing my upper jaw and dislodged three of my upper front teeth, root and all. Starting with my trip that night to the ER at Kaiser Hospital, and throughout the next 18 months, the Lord has blessed me with a wonderfully talented and compassionate group of medical, dental and cosmetic professionals. These professionals improved the appearance of my birth defects.

After my initial surgery to repair my severed lower lip, my husband and I conferred with our dentist and an oral surgeon on a plan of action to restore my teeth and smile. We decided that cosmetic surgery to create a Cupids Bow, where none previously existed, would provide the dentist and oral surgeon the best starting point from which to begin the restoration process.

The surgery to create a Cupid’s Bow is not for the faint hearted. It requires the lips to be sewn together for a period of about three weeks. A triangular section of the center of the lower lip is cut open, creating a flap. This flap, which must contain a vascular blood supply is inverted and connected to the center of the upper lip. During the time the lips are sewn together the blood supply from the lower lip is allowing tissue to grow in the upper lip. The appearance immediately after surgery was hideous, and I chose to wear a surgical mask in public. The high protein liquid diet and prescription mouth wash were horrid.

My husband and I learned to communicate on a whole new level since I could only mumble.

Oddly enough, he was able to finish my thoughts so I didn’t have to continue mumbling.

Once the doctor was satisfied with the size and health of the new tissue, surgery was performed to separate the lips and the upper lip now had a Cupid’s Bow. This surgery is a piece of cake compared to having your lips sewn together.

With my new Cupid’s Bow I was off to see the oral surgeon for a gum graft. The purpose of the graft was to lower my upper gum line so I could then be fitted by my dentist with temporary teeth. A waiting period of several months followed to ensure the gums did not recede before impressions could be taken from which my permanent teeth would eventually be fabricated.

After five surgeries of my mouth (lips and gums) it took 18 months from the date of my accident until I received my permanent teeth.

My surgeons and dentist performed miraculously. However, I still had uneven lips as a result of my birth defect, old scar tissue, as well as the new scar tissue.

I subsequently investigated Permanent Cosmetics. My search led me to Susan Church who proved to be an angel on assignment from God. Susan is a genuinely compassionate professional whose unique expertise in Corrective Pigment and Skin Needling™ dramatically improved the overall appearance of my lips.

Having Susan perform Skin Needling™ on my old and new scars definitely diminished and softened their appearance. The color and lipliner Susan chose is perfect for what I requested. My lips now are balanced and even. I would never in my life have imagined they could ever look this great.

Susan’s work was the finishing touch in completing my transformation. Her attention to detail and her unwillingness to settle for anything less than perfection was apparent throughout our time together.
Click here for a complete photo gallery of step by step Lip Repigmentation and Skin Needling™